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Courtesy of Design Within Reach

I moved into my house a little over two weeks ago. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to have two architects, an abstract painter and a few friends with great taste offer advice on design and placement. It has been decorating by committee, but what a committee!

Mark Hampton, a renowned architect and good friend, lives to make suggestions. He had me change the placement of my coffee tables, which are three metal Brooklyn cocktail tables that I purchased at Room and Board years ago.

He also centered my dining table/work island. When he left, I moved it right back, thinking I would quickly center it every time he came over. How could I possibly disagree with Mark, the designer of Bal Harbour Shops, the Wolfsonian-FIU and umpteen fabulous modernist houses?  I lived with the table off center for a few days — sure I was right — until another friend/architect, Suzanne Martinson, came over.  She immediately had me center the table, explaining how much better it looked in the square room. They were right. I was wrong. No surprise there.

Suzanne also told me I needed rugs.  She wanted me to go to the Odegard sale, but even the sale prices were too high for me, so she agreed that I could use FLOR tiles. Fortunately, I had red ones from my previous house. They are available at CB2.

She also solved my bookshelf problem in the master bedroom: she suggested the Sapien bookcases (shown) from Design Within Reach that store books horizontally. They’re $199 each, and if you purchase two or more, you get $50 off! They’re going to be perfect in my bedroom.

In between Mark and Suzanne, my friend Lynne Golob Gelfman — an abstract painter with terrific design sense — came over and thought everying looked a little too perfect. She didn’t complain about the dining room table, but she did move the coffee tables Mark had lined up. She added books and textiles to the room, and helped me rearrange the open shelving in the kitchen. When she left, things looked much better.

Now I’m wondering where to hang the art. My committee told me to wait until the bookshelf in the main room is installed. I’m listening.